friendships

Great friendships are built on solid relationships. While there is no such thing as a perfect friend, anyone can still be that one person that everyone would want to have in life. So how can you be the best friend for the people you care about? Here are some ways to building and nurturing friendships that last a lifetime.

Manage your expectations. One of the ways to be a good friend is to accept people for who they are. You may be able to have an influence on someone at some level, but it would be unrealistic and unfair to think that you can change or shape a person’s life the way you want to. The more you set unrealistic expectations, the more you set yourself up for disappointments. Accepting a person for who he or she is means recognizing and embracing the imperfections.

Be present – in good and in bad times. One of the many ways to be a great friend is to be there for someone on life’s highs and lows. Be genuinely happy in celebrating the good things that happen with your friends. And when things go bad, be among the first to console them.

Spend quality time with your friends. It would be easy to let your mind wander when you have a lot of things on your plate. Being a great friend could be as simple as being present in the moments you spend with them. Listen, observe for non-verbal cues, and be genuinely interested on what is going on with your friends.

Treasure the trust. Guard your friends’ secrets well. Betraying confidences can ruin good friendships. Friends usually tell you things they would not otherwise reveal to just about anyone. Make sure that you appreciate the confidence and honor it.

Be honest. Honesty is important in friendships. But there are times when telling the truth may be uncomfortable, especially if it can potentially hurt a friend. However, the truth may just what your friends need to grow or gain more self-knowledge. Tell the truth as objectively and constructively as you can.

Pay attention. Pay attention to what your friend may or may not be telling you. Listen and observe without judging regardless of your personal feelings about the subject. Sometimes friends just want to vent their feelings. Listen to what they have to say and avoid making judgments.

Keep in touch. Make time to get in touch regardless of how hectic life may get at your end. Find ways to communicate or spend time together. Let your friend know that you will always be there even if things get busy.

Be friendly

Handymen need to be friendly to their clients. That’s given. But you should also treat them with respect. It’s the golden rule. You have to treat others the same way you want to be treated. Some of them (especially beginners) may have trouble talking to you comfortably, so it’s best to show them that they are welcome. They can’t fix your doors, cut your tiles, or patch the holes in your wall with ease if they don’t feel welcome.

Be honest

Is the job urgent? Then tell them that. You can’t expect them to double time if you didn’t tell them how crucial the task was. Not everyone can read your mind. So, to avoid misunderstandings, be sure to tell them what they need to know. You could text them, call them, or email them ahead so that they still have time to analyze how they must address the situation when they get to your house. Tell them every detail about the job beforehand. And if there are methods or tools you don’t wish for them to use, inform them with a calm and respectful voice. However, if they don’t need to know about it, then don’t tell them. You don’t have to be an entirely open book. You could summarize what they need to know before emailing them.

Also, if they have done a terrible job at something, you should tell them so that they can make things better. Telling them, they did an excellent job when they have done the exact opposite won’t help them improve their skills. You have to tell them what they did wrong so they can avoid doing the same mistake in the future.

Be kind and considerate

If the job will take too long to finish, say the whole day, then don’t forget to give them a break. Handymen are humans as well; they aren’t machines. You could offer them lunch or give them time to eat their lunch somewhere. Offer them a glass of water or juice in the middle of the day if necessary. It’s your way of thanking them for doing the things you can’t perform at your own house. Besides, showing them kindness and consideration will make them work harder. Handymen appreciate it when their bosses aren’t too harsh to them. Plus, you can avoid being victims of theft and murder if you treat your handymen well, especially since there have been recent crimes related to their profession.

The bottom line is to show respect to these people. They train, move from house to house and work hard just like any other man. Treat them with compassion, and you’ll be treated the same way. I assure you.